What are you doing for Thanksgiving?

I was dumb enough to do the turkey many years ago, so I'm still stuck with it. I keep offering to teach any or all of the kid's wives how to make dressing and sweet potatoes mashed with brown sugar and orange juice. No takers yet.

But, with multiple families, we don't get to our feast until Saturday. We have our international student (now in university) with us, so we have yet to figure out what to do for the official event. Probably clean house and eat hot dogs.

 

We hear about it, but must confess I know absolutely nothing about it. What exactly is Thankgiving (besides a holiday of course)?

Dave

 

Just thankful that we aren't British. (Actually my wife is British, so I can get by with that. )

eric

 

Thanksgiving was last month (Canadian)

 

Technically, it celebrates a feast given by the Indians for the close to starving Pligrims in what is now the state of Massachusetts back in 16 something-or-other. So we serve turkey in remembrance of that feast. And still try to find a way use up the leftovers.

It is a nice time to a family get together.

 

A few years ago visiting relatives in Massachusetts, my family and I had the chance to go to the site of the first thanksgiving at Plimoth Plantation, during Thanksgiving.

What was funny was that a tribe of semi-disgruntled indians were camped on site and were telling people their side of the story of the arrival of the settlers in the New World.

It was not quite the way the history books tell it! Quite a learning experience.

 

I'm curious now, what was their side of the story?

As a child, I was taught that the Pilgrims had a very difficult time, but were helped by the Indians, dispite some disagreements. It was always my assumption that the natives could have wiped those settlers out, but chose not to. Had I been there, I would have been very thankful indeed.

 

Their story wasn't strictly about the very first Thanksgiving, but from their perspective, they were being treated just as badly then as they generally are nowadays. Within only a few years after that feast, practically all the indians in New England that hadn't died of smallpox had been sold into slavery or had escaped to Canada.

 

Very sad! I didn't realize it was within only a few years, and I didn't know that indians were typically enslaved.

As a side note, I grew up in, and still live in New England, and have some Canadian Indian blood in me too. Who knows, maybe I'm descended from some of those poor souls.

 

If I remember correctly President Lincoln established the first Thanksgiving holiday. Wasn't much of a celebration until the advertisers got hold of it, somewhere in the mid 50's. But then, who cares about the original? Waking up at my mom's house the day after, making a turkey, dressing and mashed potatoe "sandwich" makes this holiday much more special than any other. Then wierdos got hold of it and we should be pious and thank everybody. Then more wackos got hold of it and anybody connected with the Mayflower should be floggrd and burned at the stake.
Now, we should all show up at the local animal shelter, and feed the bums. It's a day of rest, feasting and football. I feel no remorse for reaping the harvest. Of the fruits of my labor.
Dan

 

Perhaps we should rename it Thanks-glutting Day

 

My wife and I are going to eat at our sons house. His girlfriend will do the cooking (makes my wife happy) , it's her first turkey..Ought to be interesting....

 

We had the traditional Turkey with all the trimmings . . . Then we had the traditional pumpkin pie with the home made whipped cream . . . then I had the traditional shot of pepto bismol and the obligatory nap . . .

I had not heard the native americans were typically enslaved either . . . I was aware the Delaware indians were held in virtual slavery by the Iroquois League (a confederation of several tribes).

I also dispute that everything occurred in the "first few years." The overall saga is a long history that spans over a century . . . and the English, French, Spanish, and to a lesser degree some other "old world" nations, all had a hand in setting the stage for it.

But I degress . . . I agree with Bill - pass the turkey!

 

Nat welcome to A.C.C. ,Bill will get you up to speed,Bill is highly
regarded and post great work that every one uses.
Loosewire